Since the impact of the pandemic, working from home – be it completely remote or hybrid – has quickly become the norm, on a global scale. This has opened doors to new working opportunities for many; from new job opportunities that didn’t exist before due to the locale or commute, through to parents or those less abled returning to the workforce now that remote work is an option. It can’t be denied that working from home has had a huge impact on our lives. However, is this new world of work a completely positive shift? Unsurprisingly, the answer is nuanced, with many positives and some pretty big pitfalls to be wary of. Let’s explore how to effectively work from home.
Working from home, for many, unveils a much better work-life balance. Gone is the hectic commute at 6am to be in the office for 8am, replacing it with a much more leisurely walk down the stairs at 7.45am to make a coffee and sit at your workstation ready to start your day. The gift of time can have a largely positive impact on mental wellbeing as there is more time back in the day to do what matters most to you, rather than trying to cram everything into the 2-3 hours left of your evening – no easy feat I can tell you.
A whopping 75%* of workers say they are also more productive when working at home, due to the lack of distractions from their colleagues. There is no doubt it can often be much easier to get everything done on the ‘to-do list’ when working in a quiet environment, free from distractions. However, it is important to note that to ensure a positive mindset and to protect your mental wellbeing, getting out for regular exercise, and meeting friends and colleagues – both in-person and virtually – is important. Now, let’s get back to exploring other positive aspects.
Another encouraging one from the side of the employer this time, is that more than half of UK bosses think that their teams are more productive when working from home. A large part of this is likely due to the lack of distractions as we explored before, but also working from home equips you with a more relaxed environment, rather than in a fast-paced office. This in turn often means projects are quicker to complete as the mental agility is optimal for the efficient completion of tasks. This is echoed by studies from JD Edwards, American Express and Compaq, which found that remote workers are 15-45% more productive than their office counterparts.
Have you considered the positive impact to the environment? Let’s reminisce back to the height of COVID. Remember how quiet it was on the roads? Well, if every office-based worker in the UK worked remotely 50% of the time, it would stop the production of 54 million tonnes of greenhouse gas. That’s the equivalent of taking 10 million cars off the road! What a difference that would make.
With remote working being very popular, it is important to optimise our working environment and tasks for both optimal efficiencies, whilst also being aware of any pitfalls that could impact successfully working from home.
Whilst there are numerous benefits of an improved work-life balance, there is also a strong potential for it to go the other way – as work and home boundaries blur.
‘Clocking on and off’ is fast becoming a thing of the past. With no daily commute to carry you to work, and no need to get home at the end of the day, switching off from work is becoming increasingly harder for many people. This is especially true with flexible working. Seeing your colleague still available online, when you want to finish the workday, can lead to many working longer hours to match what they think their counterparts are doing. So, when is it ok to switch off? This has led to UK workers increasing their working week by 25%* when working remotely.
Blurred work boundaries… the temptation is real. With your laptop sitting on the coffee table next to you on the sofa, the lure to check your email for ‘important’ updates on your Saturday morning can be too strong for some. Welcome to the ‘always on’ workday. This can often affect younger workers, who are early in their careers and want to prove themselves and showcase their strong work ethic. However, this behaviour is also very common with millennial managers too – who think overwork is the norm and to be expected as you progress up the career ladder. Overwork can often stem from a place of fear, that their work won’t be as easily recognised when working from home, as it is in the office. However, this creates ‘catch 22’ – the more work that is seen to be done within working hours, the more an employer tends to give. This has led to 3/10* British people finding it hard to separate their home lives from their working lives. This of course raises the question, are employers doing enough to reassure their remote team?
How many of us project our work as part of our identity? After all it is often the first question asked when meeting someone new… “So, what do you do?”
Work forming part of our identities, is nothing new. However, with the rapid blurring of boundaries between work and home life, it is even easier to self-sacrifice our own time and devalue hobbies and plans made, to make way for more work. After all, remember ‘clocking off’ is a thing of the past. This is such a common entity these days that there is even a name for it – enmeshment.
So, is working from home all ‘doom and gloom’, from a mental health perspective?
Whilst it is true that 87%* of UK businesses have adapted to a hybrid working model for their staff, with job flexibility now built in, and WFH (work from home) set-ups now the norm. It is important to consider the key missing component of these set-ups… protecting the employees mental health.
Gone are sick days. Now let us be clear, of course employees are entitled to take time off sick when they are unwell, but few now do. We all got used to ‘soldiering on’ during the pandemic. Now many people report that they actually feel guilty if they need to take a sick day, opting instead to plough through. But is this the best option? Studies have revealed that not stopping to let the body repair itself when fighting off illness and infection can lead to the illness lingering on much longer. Is it worth avoiding that day off to let the body repair itself, to work the rest of the week at 30% effectiveness?
It’s also important to not forget the physical aspects of an inadequate WFH set-up. With 25%* of British home workers reported to be working from their sofa or bedroom, musco-skeletal problems are on the rise. A proper WFH desk and chair, set to the correct ergonomic height and adjustment levels is imperative to the continued success of working from home. Ever thought about the screen(s) you use, and how their use and placement can impact your working efficiency, as well as your skeleton?
That it’s important to put boundaries in place for ourselves and push back when needed. Saying no, setting healthy boundaries, and being transparent with your workload is not going to make your employer think less of you. At the end of the day the only person who is going to look out for you and know your limits, is you. Put you first. Be the captain of your own destiny. Ok, yes that sounded incredibly corny – but the sentiment is true folks. Without strong boundaries in place, we are all susceptible to that ‘dirty’ phrase… burnout.
When 5pm rolls around, it’s ok to close-down your workstation and tidy your work items and laptop away. Out of sight, out of mind has never been truer. With Gartner forecasting that 39%* of all global workers will have embraced a hybrid model by the end of 2024, it has never been more important to embrace work-life balance. You will thank yourself in the long (and short) run.
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References
Standout CV
ONS
The Guardian
Kings College London
People Management
CIPD
